THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 329, 22 January 1909, Page 4

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

i TAfiANAKI-VIEWS Of IjOWKII i . VALUES. i (The Xe.w Zealand Times.) i There arc several reasons being ad'dueed in Taranaki for the fall in the ■price of baton pigs, but among the more reasonable is that there being mi export trade eurers have to depend on the local imarket. and the Christina* season having passed, there is now a falling oil' 'n demand, and stociks being heavier than was anticipated, if is not paying to cine except at greatly reduced rates. It .» ■merely a question of. .supply ami demand. One. nffect of the slump is 'that Titmnaki 'farmers are directing more attention to 'their ow,i co-operative concerns, which lhave been starved for supplies, while outside buyers- have, been aflihy to secure 'practically all tho prime, quality of pigs. The experience of some £o-operalivc curing companies in Taranaki has been disastrous, owing largely to the poor support provided by co-operators themselves, who desert their own companies 'immediately a better, and often terniporary, price is offered by outside proprietary eurers. As a. result several companics have had to close down.

I Though Taranaki milk producers 'have bcneJitcd more by co-operation 'than any sections of farmers in New •Zealand, Ilicy have not experienced the full inciisiivc* erf the lienelieial n-sulls of 'co-operation owing to their disloyally to the principle, immediately a temporary ailvtaiitage is offered from auotiier Mii'arler. ! linl apart from failure to support ■their own co-operative eoncerns it must he admitted that the co-operative Won coinpanv in this country has so far failed to cater to the industry on as satisfactory a Imsis as the proprietory conicern. The bacon business to succeed ■nowadays must be established! on a modern and comprehensive basis, so that the product may lie turned out in large uniform, lines, and the best use made of itlie small goods and offal. Hut the ■main factor of success—production of ilbe right class of baconer properly lopped off—still constitutes the "real wcakeicss in the industry, and to this is in part ascribed the. unsatisfactory .price Hieing paid at present. In many cases the pigs were not topped oil at all—except maybe their snouts were covered in ipollard. as the buyer was seen coming nip the road—with tile result that when the carcases were, stored they shrank lalinorinally in weight, ill addition to 'providing a poor cure, with the result ithat the output of the factory was uneven, and a good proportion of it unsatisfactory. Tu many cases the net result showed that the .price paid tile farmer wiled a loss to the rarer.

I 'Dairy farmers should he warned again.-!; cstablishi-ig district co-operative factories. The idea, should be one great Icoilcern, where the business could be Iconducted under the highest skilled supervisor nn the most economical basis, «ind where payment should be by quality as much as by weight.